Engine starting mechanism



April 21,1936. RIMNAR O E .2',03s,191

ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Filed March 1'7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Romeo M. ardone April 1936. R. M. NARDONE 3 ENGINE STAR'fING MECHANISM Filed March 17, 195 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 16 LP INVENTOR.

T T %Romeo M. Nardone Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE STARTING MECHANISM Application March 17, 1934, Serial No. 716,199

13 Claims.

Ihis invention relates to engine starting mechanism and more particularly to means for controlling both the energization of such a starting mechanism and the establishment of driving con- 5 nection between the mechanism and the engine to be started.

In many types of engine starting devices, it is desirable to provide mechanism which is normally disengaged from the engine to be started,

but shiftable into engagement therewith by means functioning more or less independently of the prime actuating instrumentalities of the starter. Thus, for example, in many types of automobile starters there is employed a so-called manual shift in which a pinion, or equivalent engine engaging member, is shifted to the working position by a lever or other means under the control of the operator even before any rotation of the starter prime mover. In other cases, as for example, in engine starters of the inertia type, such as that disclosed in the Lansing Patent No. 1,833,948, electromagnetic means distinct from the starter prime mover serve to actuate the engine engaging clutch entirely independently of 25 and in fact only after such prime mover has been de-energized. That is, the prime mover (shown as an electric motor in the aforesaid Lansing patent, and similarly shown in the preferred embodiment of the present invention) is first energized for a period of time sufficient to accelerate the starter flywheel (constituting the inertia element of the device) to the desired speed, whereupon switch mechanism is manually operative to de-energize the motor and at the 35 same time energize a solenoid which actuates the engine engaging element. A The present invention constitutes an improvement on the controlling means and method of operation of the above identified patent in the 40 sense that instead of de-energizing the motor concurrently with the meshing (engine engaging) operation, the motor is caused to remain energized even after meshing is effected, and the energy stored in the starter flywheel is held in 5 reserve for use only after a period of crankin directly from the motor to the engine. Such preliminaryperiod of direct cranking by the motor, with the flywheel disconnected, relieves the flywheel of the comparatively heavy drain 50 upon its stored energy which it ordinarily undergoes by reason of the high resistance of the en gine parts during the breakaway effort. By delaying the coupling of the energized flywheel until such breakaway resistance has'been over- 55 come, the cranking period is lengthened to an extent corresponding to the saving in energy, since the flywheel will then deliver up its energy at a much steadier and more gradual rate.

Other objects of the invention are to provide novel and improved means for controlling the 5 operation of the inter-related parts employed in a device of the class described, and in the specific construction and inter-relation of such parts, while further objects will appear more fully from an examination of the following detailed descrip- 10 tion when read with reference to the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment of the present invention.

It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are merely illustrative and are not designed 15 to indicate the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings there is shown in Fig; 1 a representation, partly in section and partly in outline of one type of engine starting mechanism to which the present inventionis applicable.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of the clutch actuating devices.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the control circuits and parts; and

Figs. 4-8 show different relative positions of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, the starter mechanism is shown as embodied in a casing I, wherein is rotatably mounted an inertia element or flywheel 5 which may be automatically rotated by an electric motor 6, or which may be manually rotated by means of a shaft terminating in the bevel gear I. The flywheel is adapted .to drive '35 a. clutch member 8 through suitable mechanism mounted in housing 4, and when said flywheel has been brought to a sufliciently high speed of rotation, clutch member 8 is adapted to be thrown into engagement with a corresponding clutch 40 member 9 provided on the shaft ID of the engine "to be started. The connections between the flywheel 5 and the driven member 8 may be of any desired form including reduction gears l6, ll, l8 and I9 and torque limiting clutch mechanism as illustrated and described in greater detail in Fig. 4 of the Lansing patent above identified.

The present arrangement differs, from that of the aforesaid Lansing patent however, in that the driving connection from the motor 0 to the flywheel 5 includes a gear train and a disengageable clutch whereby the flywheel may be first accelerated by the delivery thereto of energy developed in the motor 8, and thereafter the flywheel allowed to run free of the gear train and motor so that the said gear train and motonmay function to directly crank the engine member 9, the eil'ectiveness of the flywheel as a driving agency being thus delayed until after a preliminary period of direct cranking. As shown the gear train includes the elements l6 and I 1 above referred to and also a pair of beveled gears 23 and 24, the latter being shown rigidly secured by means 26 to the gear |1 while the former is shown asintegral with a short shaft 28 spiined at its upper end to a cup shaped element 29 constituting the driven member of an overrunning clutch having driving rollers 3| and a driving inner race 32 splined to the lower portion 33 of the armature shaft 34 of the motor. The disengageable clutch is shown in the form of a pair of cooperating conical surfaced friction elements 31 and 39, the former being shown as riveted to the flywheel 5 and the latter as secured within the rim 39 of a cup shaped member 4| having a hub 42 drivably connected as by splines to a spllned portion of shaft 43, the said shaft as shown being integral as above described with pinion ii. A coil compression spring 5| is mounted within the hub 42 and since one end of the spring abuts a plate 52 bearing'against the inner race of axially fixed bearing 53, it is apparent that the spring tends to engage the clutch members 31 and 38 and hold said members in engagement except when released by the means to be described.

Preferably the means for releasing the clutch elements 31 and 39 is inter-related with the means for energizing the motor 6 and also the means for throwing the engine engaging member 3 into engine engaging position. As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3 the inter-related mechanism includes a rod 55 (also shown in Fig. 1) connecting with the clutch member 8 and operable in the same manner as is the corresponding rod in the aforesaid Lansing patent, the operating means including a torsion spring 51, one end of which engages the rod 56 and the other end of which abuts boss 59 of the housing and thereby tends to hold the clutch in the position indicated in both Figs. 1 and 3. The controlling mechanism as best viewed in Fig. 2 further includes a rod pivotally connected to a lever 9| which in turn operatively engages a shaft 62 connecting with a yoke member 55 having eccentric or cam portions at its ends in the form of inwardly directed pins 65 and 68 engages able with the collar 66 which surrounds the hub 42 and operates through thrust bearings 69 to move said hub and hence the clutch 39 to the right in Fig. 1 in response to movement of the rod 63 to the left. As shown in Fig. 3, one portion of the rod 30 receives a cylindrical member 93 preferably of a non-conducting material and said member 63 in turn connects with a conducting disc 64 adapted to bridge either of two sets of contacts 66 and 61, the former set being in series with the winding of the motor 6 indicated in Fig. 8 and the latter set being in series with the winding 69.01! a solenoid, the movable core of which is extended to pass through a dashpot 1| constituting an adjustable time delay device, the lower end of the movable element of the dash-pot being also'shown in the form of a rod 12 connecting with the previously described clutch actuating rod 59 through the instrumentality'of a bell crank 13. A spring pressed detent 19 is engageable with a depression "in the rod 33 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 but is normally out of engagement therewith as indicated in Figs.

4, 5 and 8. Suitable manually operable means controlling the switches 86 and 61 and hence the flow of current from a suitable source 19, is shown in the form of a rod 82 terminating in a knob 83 located within convenient reach of the operator of the vehicle. Y

Having thus described the parts entering into the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown, the operation thereof will be seen to be as follows:

Prior to commencement of the cycle, the elements 60 and 82 are in the position indicated in Fig. 4 in which position the spring 5| holds clutch 31-39 engaged while spring 51 holds engine engaging member 8 in the disengaged position. Now, upon movement of knob 83 to the position shown in Fig. 5 current is caused to flow from the battery 19 into the motor 3 by way of connections 9|, 92 and 93. The resulting rotation of the armature shaft 34 is communicated to the flywheel 5 through elements 29, 2B, 23, l1, i6, 43, 42, 39 and 31, and the flywheel is thus accelerated to the desired speed. When such desired speed is attained, knob 83 is moved further to the left into the position indicated in Fig. 6 and such movement is communicated to the rod 60 by reason of engagement of the end of cylinder 63 with the shoulder on the rod 60. Such movement opcrates through the lever GI and collar 86 to disengage clutch 31, 39, and the clutch is locked in z the disengaged position by the action of detent 16 upon depression 11.

At the same time the circuit to the motor 3 is broken and the solenoid 69 energized, due to the shifting of disc 64 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Energization of solenoids?! operates through links 122, 13 and 56 to move member 8 into mesh with engine member 9 whereupon the motor 9 is again energized (the flywheel clutch 31, 39 remaining open) by action of the operator in returning knob 83 to the position shown in Fig. 7. After the resulting direct cranking from motor 5 to engine member 9 (through the gear train) has proceeded for a time, the operator will pull knob 83 still further to the right, and into the position shown in Fig. 8. In this latter position detent 16 is no longer effective to hold clutch 31, 39 open, and said clutch is therefore engaged by action of spring 5|. The flywheel 5 now discharges its energy through the clutch, shaft 43, and the gear train l8, l1, l3 and I9, to complete the cranking of the engine member 9. When the latter overruns starter member 9 spring 51 (in conjunction with the usual reverse screw-action) acts to de-mesh the starter, the de-meshing being preferably controllably retarded by the setting of adjusting valve 93 of the dash-pot 1| in order to guard against a prema ture de-meshing-that is, to prevent de-meshing in cases where the overrunning of member 9 is merely momentary, such as might result from an isolated firing impulse.

construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the invention defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a rod operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a -motor operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation'of said rod, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said motor, means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member, and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for completely severing the drive between the inertia member and the engine engaging member and thereby preventing the transfer of such energy either before or after actuation of said rod.

2. In an engine starter, in combinati n with an engine engaging member, a rod operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a motor operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said rod, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said motor, means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for preventing any such energy transfer.

3. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a rod operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a rotating means operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before,

during and after actuation of said rod, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said rotating means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member, and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for completely severing the drive between the inertiamember and the engine engaging member and thereby preventing the transfer of such energy either before or after actuation of said rod.

4. 'In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a rod operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a rotating means including a motor and reduction gearing operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said rod, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said rotating means to receive and subsequently transfer'the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member and means independent of said rod for preventing any such energy transfer, said means including a single clutch which, in the disengaged position, disconnects said inertia member from both said motor and said reduction gearing.

5. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engagingmember, a shifter element operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a motor operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said shifter element, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said motor, means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member, and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member forcompletely severing the drive between the inertia member and the engine engaging member and thereby preventing the transfer of such energy either before or after actuation of said shifter element.

6. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a shifter element operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a motor operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said shifter element, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said motor, means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for preventing any such energy transfer.

7. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a shifter element operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a rotating means operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said shifter element, an inertia member energiz able in response to operation of said rotating means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said engine engaging member, and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for completely severing the drive between the inertia member and the engine engaging member and thereby preventing the transfer of such energy either before or after actuation of said shifter element.

8. In an engine starter, in combination with an engine engaging member, a shifter element operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a rotating means operative to rotate said engine engaging member both before, during and after actuation of said shifter element, an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said rotating means for transferring the energy of the inertia member to said. engine engaging member and means forming part of the drive from said motor to the inertia member for preventing any such energy transfer.

9. The method of operating an engine starter of the type having an engine engaging member, a rod operative to move said engine engaging member into engine engaging position, a prime mover and an inertia member energizable in response to operation of said prime mover, which includes the .steps of first energizing the inertia member, then causing it to run idly while the rod is operated and the engine cranked directly by the prime mover acting through the agency of the engine engaging member, and thereafter causing the transfer to the engine of the energy previously stored in the inertia member.

, engaging member, and thereafter causing the transfer to the engine of the energy previously stored in the inertia member.

11. The combination with an engine engaging member, electric motor, flywheel and gear train connecting all three elements, whereby energy developed in the motor may be delivered directly to either the engine engaging member, flywheel,

or both, of a means including a clutch controlling connection of said flywheel with said gear train, a switch movable to interrupt the flow of current to said motor, and means movable by said switch to cause release of said clutch.

12. The combination with an engine engaging member, electric motor, flywheel and gear train connecting all three elements, whereby energy developed in the motor may be delivered directly to either the engine engaging member, flywheel, or both, of means including a clutch con trolling connection of said flywheel with said gear train, a switch movable to interrupt the flow of current to said motor, and means movable by said switch to cause release of said clutch. said switch further operating to cause engine engaging movement of said engine engaging member, but only after release of said clutch.

'13. The combination with an engine engaging member, electric motor, flywheel and gear train connecting all three elements, whereby energy developed in the motor may be delivered directly to either the engine engaging member, flywheel,

ROD/IEO M. NARDONE. 

